The next morning, Fiducius woke first. Giving the woman next to him a gentle kiss on the cheek, he got up, taking a shower before replacing his clothing from the day before and reapplying the spade shape that would allow his transformation. Going back to her, he gave her another kiss, touching her cheek. "Hey. Wake up."
She stirred slightly, opening her eyes and looking at him. "Fiducius?"
"I'm going to go check on Apsyrtus and see how the others are doing," he told her, giving her hand a squeeze. "I just didn't want you to wake up alone."
She smiled at him, gesturing for him to go, shyly clutching the blanket to herself. He did so, stepping out into the hallway and seeing if anyone was there. No one noticed.
The other senshi had gathered at the observation deck, talking among themselves as he approached. "Hello," he greeted, raising a hand. "What's the matter?"
Strenua nodded to Fiducius. He had learned enough of the gray-skinned alien's demeanor to notice that his skin was a little more ashen, his ears drooped. He must have been tired. "The enemy is launching another attack." He pulled up a map, gesturing to the yellow dot that was moving around the edge of the map. "To here, we believe."
Fiducius frowned at the asteroid, letting Strenua pull up its data. "What's the strategic value of this place?" he addressed the other senshi.
"There is none. This is what I believe is referred to as a 'mopping up' action. They are taking time to clean up outlying systems since they do not believe we will attack."
"Which is a mistake they won't live to regret," Imperatrix spoke up. "We need to strike at them now. They'll be caught off-guard if we can get to that world in time and without being seen."
"What do you think, Subamara?" Strenua asked softly.
Poor Strenua, Fiducius realized. He was doing his best to fill Apsyrtus's shoes, but didn't have the leadership ability or the courage to make decisions that would possibly get people killed. Withdrawing a card, he looked at it and nodded. "We need to stay here. We're not at full capacity yet."
"Oh? And who voted you leader, kid?" Imperatrix said derisively.
"No one," he replied. "I'm just voicing my opinion. Yes, they are taunting us, making a move while they believe we won't attack because of our weakened forces. But I think they'll be plenty ready for an assault in the hopes that we'll waste our time and lives on one. We're not at full strength. We need to wait and let Apsyrtus recover."
"What makes you think all of that? Did you read it in the future?" Imperatrix said with a sneer.
"Yes," he replied calmly. Somehow, the thought of Imperatrix didn't frighten him; he had enough to be frightened of.
"Colchis isn't that valuable to our fighting forces," Imperatrix pressed. "He isn't capable of much damage. We can do fine without him."
Fiducius shook his head. "We've already lost our heaviest hitter. We can't afford to be two down. And Apsrytus does well in battle."
"Well, you can wait around if you like. Let's head out ourselves," Imperatrix addressed to Gotho and Thais. "We'll take them out."
Gotho and Thais looked at each other, and then the larger man spoke. "I agree with Subamara. We should pick our battles carefully. I will wait for Apsyrtus to recover."
"Ah...then I'll stay, too," Thais added, clearly not wanting to be in a battle where it was very easy to be outnumbered.
"Fine, you cowards," Imperatrix growled out. "I'll go by myself."
"You could," Fiducius spoke up again, "but you'll die."
That made him pause, and he drew himself up to his full height, looking down at the younger man. "This is the last and only time I defer to you, fortune teller," he said in a soft tone before turning on his heel and leaving.
Gotho shook his head, leaving the room with Thais following. "I am grateful to you," Strenua said, turning the display off. "Apsyrtus would have been proud of your words just now. It was the right thing to say."
"I think so, too. How is Apsyrtus doing?"
"He is doing better. It will still be some time before he is able to walk on his own and return to battle."
Fiducius nodded, then gave Strenua a smile. "Don't worry about Imperatrix. I'm sure he realized it was a bad idea, too. If he gives you problems, you can rely on me."
"Thank you...Fiducius," Strenua replied after a moment, stumbling a bit over the name. "Your help is most appreciated. Unfortunately, I am not possessing adequate abilities to handle the current situation."
"Don't worry about it. How is Apsyrtus doing?" Fiducius followed the alien as he left the room.
"He is vascillating between states of consciousness and unconsciousness. Physically, the doctors have accelerated the healing as much as possible, but it will still be slow due to his fatigued mental state."
"How is he doing on that end?"
"You would probably be a better judge than myself. He maintains a cheery front while I am with him. I do not know if he grieves when he is alone. I am worried that he does not."
Fiducius shook his head. "That's not good for him. He needs to allow himself to mourn Tynka. Yourself, too."
"We are of the same opinion, then. Grief is a natural process for humans to repair damaged mental states. Do not fear for my mental state," he added after a moment. "I have finished with my initial shock. I will continue to process this in my own way."
Fiducius nodded as he followed Strenua down the hall, toward the infirmary. The people of Strenua were certainly different from humans, but Fiducius decided he liked the factual alien. "You knew her for a long time, didn't you?"
Strenua's ears flicked at the question. "Apsyrtus and I had known Tynka for around sixty months or so. She was only that old."
"She was--" Fiducius did the math in terms of the Main Belt's standard calendar, taking into account the long rotation periods. "About a year old?"
Strenua nodded. "The world of Tynka procures an active and physically fit senshi at all times by placing the starseed inside empty bodies. Tynka was 'born' after their most recent senshi was disposed of."
Fiducius repressed a shiver at the phrasing. He had a feeling the last Tynka hadn't died of old age. "So if we could get her starseed back, she could be born again?"
"In a sense. Tynka would be revived, yes. But it would not be our Tynka. They are never alike, nor do the memories transfer between clones. At least, that is my understanding."
"Oh...." The brief hope he had had for Apsyrtus faded, and then he mentally cursed at himself. Apsyrtus had known about Tynka far better than he had; if the possibility had existed to bring her back, he wouldn't have been in the terrible shape he was. "I'm sorry, I'm talking about things I don't really know anything about."
"There is nothing to be sorry for." Strenua looked at him, and gave him a wide smile that the alien seemed to hope was reassuring. "My people understand that knowledge is not all-encompassing. It is pursued, but never gained. Indeed," he said after a moment, "there are many things that my people do not understand. Like humans."
"Like humans?"
"Emotion is, for the most part, foreign to my people," Strenua explained. "I am different. Because I am possessing the starseed of Strenua, I am capable of functioning with higher levels of emotion than the rest of my people. Because of that, I was largely raised on Colchis with a small group of my people, so that I might better understand emotion. Even the senshi of Strenua is not all-encompassing, but they are looked to for the knowledge that my people cannot hope to gain or understand."
Fiducius nodded, taking in the words with rapt attention, part of him fascinated at the truly alien culture and part of him pleased that Strenua was opening up to him. "So you grew up with Apsyrtus?"
Strenua nodded. "Apsyrtus was a very lively child. He was always moving around, always speaking and expressing. It made a very good study to understand emotions. Although in the end, perhaps I only learned about Apsyrtus, not emotions in general. I learned many lessons from him."
"Like what?" Fiducius asked with a smile.
Strenua put a hand to his chin, thinking. "If you tell a human they are arrogant, they generally do not react with pleasure," he said after a moment.
"Arrogant? Apsyrtus? The same one?"
Strenua nodded. "He understood that he would be a king. He never lacked in compassion for others...but he was unused to dealing with equals. That has long since changed," the alien added. "As you are probably aware."
"I can imagine. Apsyrtus is the very opposite of arrogant, I'd think. Although if you were to tell Imperatrix, he probably wouldn't be upset," he added with a smile.
"You believe Imperatrix to be arrogant?"
"He's very confident in himself. To the point where he overshadows others. You saw how he tried to bully Gotho and Thais into coming along because he thought he was in the right. Imperatrix's card is the Chariot," he explained after a moment. "He charges ahead without regard for what might get run over or left behind. He's a very powerful force, but he can be dangerous to himself if he doesn't exert control."
Strenua nodded. "I believe your cards and your observations are factual and not colored by overwhelming bias."
"Um, thanks, I guess." Fiducius rubbed at his neck. "And thanks for telling me about yourself and everything. I was glad to learn a bit more about you. Could you maybe teach me your name sometime? I probably won't be able to do it very well, but...."
"That is quite all right," Strenua reassured, and his tone was warm. "Most humans do not speak my language very well. Apsyrtus is quite fluent, but his...accent, I suppose you would say, is not terribly authentic."
Fiducius grinned at that as they arrived at the infirmary, Strenua opening the door. The alien sighed as he looked in, seeing Apsyrtus. The Colchis senshi was standing by the bed, leaning heavily against the wall as he attempted to walk. "You are going to damage yourself further," the alien instructed firmly as he pulled Apsyrtus back in the direction of the bed.
"Really," Fiducius agreed, going over to help Strenua, replacing Apsyrtus on the bed. "You're only going to make your recovery longer."
Apsyrtus winced as he was lowered back onto the bed. "Sorry. Felt the need to move around. Good morning, you two. You're both looking well, how are things?"
"Our enemy is--"
"We're fine," Fiducius interrupted. "Strenua and I were just having a conversation about you on our way here."
"About the exploits of Apsyrtus, the childhood terror?" He laughed at that, settling back onto the pillows. "I hope you weren't telling him all my dirty little secrets, Strenua. I need to have something to be able to surprise him with."
"Do not worry. The vast majority of your secrets remain unshared."
"How are the others?" Apsyrtus asked next, wincing again as he jostled a wound.
"Imperatrix is restless, as to be expected. I imagine he'll be cranky, so we'd best just stay out of his way," Fiducius told him. "Gotho and Thais are waiting for you to recover. Last I checked, Tsaria was just getting up."
Apsyrtus grinned at the mention of the name. "How are things going with her?"
"They're...going well. Very well," Fiducius said after a moment.
"I figured so. You've got the look of a man who's found love," Apsyrtus said with a nod. This caused Strenua to turn back to Fiducius, scrutinizing him more carefully.
"I do?"
Apsyrtus laughed again. "I'm the senshi of Colchis. We know all manners of love, it's in our starseed."
Fiducius wrinkled his brow. "I'm not sure I understand."
"Legend has it that the senshi of Colchis was a matchmaker," Apsyrtus told him. "Quite often. He was very good at it."
This caused Fiducius to scowl at the older man. "I hope you weren't trying to matchmake me."
"Don't look so serious, Fiducius. I would never match what isn't there to begin with," Apsyrtus said with a smile. "What of our enemies? Have they made a move?"
Fiducius frowned at the change in topic. "They are attacking an outlying world. We have decided not to engage them for the moment at Fiducius's suggestion," Strenua explained.
Apsyrtus looked at the alien in surprise. "Why, Strenua, you two have gotten close, you're referring to him by name."
"Ah...." The alien considered this. "I apologize if I was being too forward, Subamara."
"No, no, it's all right," Fiducius reassured. "I want you to refer to me by name. You're my friend, after all."
Apsyrtus smiled at the pair before nodding. "I agree with that call. We're not functional, either physically or mentally, as a team. I'm not the only one that's wounded. How is Gaussia? And your shoulder?"
"She'll be fine, a good deal sooner than you," Fiducius told him. "She was just bruised up. The shoulder's fine, it'll still be a little sore but the wound wasn't deep."
"Good. That's good to know. We'll have to think about how to restructure our battle plans. Strenua, have you come up with anything?"
The alien shook his head. "That would appear to be a quality use of my time. I will go do that."
"Hey, wait a sec--" Fiducius protested, but the alien had already left. "--ond."
"It's the way he functions best," Apsyrtus said, sitting back. "Give him a task and he's obsessive at it. He'll do a little better handling things after that. I'm glad he's warming up to you."
"I am, too," Fiducius said honestly. "How are you really feeling? You seem like you're back to your old self, so I don't really think that's the case."
"Well...I think I cried about as much as I'm going to," Apsyrtus said after a moment, running a hand through his curly hair. "I have to move on now. I have other things to think about."
"Other things to avoid thinking about her?"
"Other things to distract me. It's a valid coping method," Apsyrtus said with a shrug. "My goal now is to get her starseed back and return it to Tynka. They can revive the senshi of Tynka and have her battle-ready within a few weeks."
"Strenua told me about that. He said she wouldn't be the same."
"She never is. Things never are. We can't go back to that point in time where we were happier, Fiducius," Apsyrtus sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Even if it's depressing as hell, we have to look forward, to the future."
Fiducius took a seat by the bed, leaning over the back of a chair and folding his arms across the top of the chair's back. "You plan to get the new Tynka into our team when possible, then?"
"Yes. But I don't know how long it will take. She'll be strong and have intuitive control over her power, but they still have to teach her to fight. And then there's her emotional awareness. Tynka--my Tynka, that is--was really volatile when she first started out. Interacting with other senshi helps, which is why we've had a long alliance with the world of Tynka. But throwing her into battle within a few weeks is not an enviable task at all."
Fiducius nodded. "But we probably don't have much of a choice."
"No, we don't. I hope Tynka's successor can forgive me for that."
"I'm sure she will," Fiducius said. "She'll come to understand in time, when her world's safe and she can return to a peaceful life."
"You're such an optimist," Apsyrtus said with a chuckle. "It's uplifting to be around you."
"I guess that's because of you all," Fiducius replied. "It's only been, what, a standard couple of months? I didn't care about anything back then. The life or death of my world wouldn't have really mattered to me. I mostly came because I was scared of this dark menace I saw in a reading."
"A dark menace? You saw the Galaxia menace in one of your readings of the future?"
He nodded. "How did it end?" Apsyrtus asked quietly.
"I don't know how it ends, Apsyrtus. I could only see that it was coming. I did see that it would be difficult to overcome. But if anyone can succeed, it's us," he said reassuringly.
Apsyrtus smiled, his expression a bit sad. "I'm glad you're such an honest person, Fiducius. I don't think you'd lie even to make me feel better. You're just so...genuine."
"Ah...well, I am me," Fiducius said. "I don't know how to be anything else."
"That's a good thing. That's very good." Apsyrtus shifted on the bed. "Okay, I'm going to catch a nap. Let me know if anything changes."
"All right, Apsyrtus." Fiducius got up to leave, checking to make sure the other senshi would be comfortable. "I'll make sure that everyone keeps themselves in good spirits and safe."
"Give Gaussia a message for me?" Apsyrtus murmured, closing his eyes.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Tell her I said to take care of you," Apsyrtus said. "If you take care of everyone, you probably won't take care of yourself. So tell her to make sure someone does it. Promise me?"
Fiducius smiled and shook his head in amusement. "I promise I'll tell her."
"Good. Good night."
"But it's morning," Fiducius protested, but the other man was already asleep, or at least seeming to be.
The Strenuan sail ship kept within their space as the Galaxia menace proceeded to wipe out two other small areas while Apsyrtus recovered, and Fiducius thought it wasn't a moment too soon when the man was declared fit for active duty. Serious about his word to the other senshi, Fiducius had played middleman to every dispute on the ship, mostly between an increasingly impatient Imperatrix and some other person on the ship, and keeping everyone calm and happy was a trying job. But Tsaria, after hearing Apsyrtus's message, had taken it as a solemn duty, and whatever else happened, she was always there at the end of the day to cuddle and talk with.
"Their next target is going to be Tynka," Strenua stated, bringing Fiducius back to the meeting they were in.
"Why Tynka?" Thais wanted to know, frowning at the map. "Most of the areas they've targeted haven't been very close."
"They won't be. They are not attempting to broadcast their intentions. However, we've received footage that the last place they captured, they employed the use of a senshi with skills in explosions of a nuclear level. This would be in line with Tynka's abilities."
Fiducius glanced over at Apsyrtus. The man's jaw was set, lips pressed in a thin line, but he said nothing, nodding slightly for Strenua to continue. "They appear to have done their research on most of the asteroids in our sector of space, and thus they have probably learned that Tynka utilizes their starseed with cloning. They will want to take out that facility to ensure that Tynka, or any other captured starseed, cannot be revived by use of their process."
Imperatrix sat up suddenly. "But if we did protect it, we could revive some of the dead senshi with new bodies. Isn't that correct?"
"That is correct. My people have sent the starseeds we have captured in previous battles to Tynka, and they have succeeded in reviving a few of them so far. They are having to adjust their cloning tanks to other senshi specifications and grow them at an accelerated rate, so thus far the successes have been those whose genetic typing most closely matches Tynka's."
" That's handy. Why didn't you mention that before?" Imperatrix asked with a frown.
"So far, we've only had two that have succeeded," Apsyrtus spoke up, "and only recently. I learned of this myself when Strenua did, not too long ago. Unfortunately the revived senshi won't be ready to join our ranks for a while. They are more emotionally unstable than a Tynka normally would be, so the training period will require more time."
"What does it matter if they're emotionally stable?"
"It matters," Apsyrtus said patiently, "because we don't want them deciding in the middle of a battle that they hate it, or us, and start attacking the places they're supposed to protect, or us. A senshi who isn't mentally prepared for battle isn't any good to us."
The war senshi frowned, but seemed content to let the subject drop. Imperatrix had become more emotionally stable himself, less impatient and cranky, once Apsyrtus had recovered and the war could go forward. "So they will most likely drop on Tynka in force," Strenua explained. "Our mission will be primarily to protect the cloning facilities and training. To this purpose, we are going to engage the alliance's sail ships against the enemy."
"We're going to fight them in space?" Thais asked, furrowing his brow.
"To begin. We will try and prevent them from having access to the planet with the combined fleet," Strenua explained with a nod. "If we can keep them from landing, we will keep them from the facilities. They are underground, so it will take a landing to gain access to the facilities."
"So then we shall guard the entrance?" Gotho spoke up.
"That is correct."
Fiducius nodded, giving Strenua a little smile of encouragement. "Any questions?" Apsyrtus asked.
Imperatrix raised his hand in a casual, almost taunting manner. "What are you going to do when you find your friend Tynka?"
"She's already dead," Apsyrtus remarked, making the statement a casual notation of fact. "Killing her again isn't any big deal. She's the same as any other puppet senshi out there. If you doubt my ability to handle her, I'll take her on alone."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Thais asked. "She was one of our heavy hitters, after all."
"I know. I'm well aware of Tynka's strengths and weaknesses. I'll be able to handle her quite aptly." He looked to the group. "If they land, I'll be counting on the rest of you to keep them at bay."
"We understand," Gotho said, folding his massive arms. "We will guard the facilities."
Fiducius frowned as a thought struck him. "Why are they just doing this now? What do we know about their intelligence gathering, how long have they known about the cloning facilities on Tynka?"
"We are not sure of their exact methods, but they seem to focus on the planets they are next attacking. Tynka has thus far not drawn their attention because the asteroid has been relatively deep into space not controlled by them. I'm guessing that the place is now on the front burner since they have the senshi of Tynka under their control."
Fiducius frowned, trying to figure out why the situation felt wrong to him. "Yes, but...there's something else to it." Kneeling on the ground, he laid out three cards, studying them intently.
"This again?" Imperatrix snorted.
"Let him be," Apsyrtus said. "It won't slow us down, the ship is already on course. I want to see what he finds."
Fiducius frowned, then pointed to the first card. "Apsrytus, do you recognize this one?"
He looked at it, then shook his head. "They all look the same to me."
"It's the ten of wands reversed. It's the card that came up when we were in battle returning from Subamara," Fiducius explained. "The card representing Lithium Irukandji. She's involved in whatever they're doing."
Apsyrtus nodded as the other senshi watched silently, letting Fiducius study the cards. "I know this pattern," he muttered to himself after a moment, trailing his finger along the cards. Then his eyes widened as he recalled the woman and her words. "Lithium Irukandji. She has the power to read into the future, too."
There was a murmur at the words. "You're sure?" Apsyrtus asked.
"It's in a different capacity, I'm not quite sure how, but I'm certain that's what's going on here. That's how they saw through the illusion, it's why she went after the senshi of Tynka and why she's going after the world of Tynka now. That's her target. It's been their target for a while now."
"That makes sense," Apsyrtus said with a nod. "All the more reason to protect them now. We'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning, so I suggest everyone rest and prepare tonight."
The sky on Tynka looked much the same as it did on Colchis or Subamara, Fiducius reflected. It was the world itself that was so much different. The people of Tynka, unlike many asteroids, had forsaken what little light and heat the distant sun gave them, and instead built most of their facilities underground, dug in the natural tunnels under the rock. These projects had to be carefully studied and managed to ensure that the asteroid wouldn't break apart, and the pressure to fall in compliance was forcing a few people to build aboveground instead, leaving a scattering of houses along the surface. They probably wished they weren't, now, Fiducius thought. If the enemy attempted a ground bombardment, the underground facilities would be largely safe, but the aboveground ones would, naturally, be wiped out. Had they been evacuated?
Apsyrtus seemed to know where he was going without being told, leading them down a wide tunnel to a large underground cavern, every inch of the walls hung with scientific devices. "This is the facility," Apsyrtus explained to the rest of the group. "I'm going to stay aboveground and keep watch for any potential threats trying to enter. There are two access tunnels: the main one we came down and a back entrance. Imperatrix, I'm putting you and Gotho at the back entrance. It's a narrower passage, so you two should be able to hold them there. Fiducius, Strenua, Thais and Gotho will take the front entrance. Fiducius, I'm going to need you to be on the offensive and pull out whatever attacking power you have. Unfortunately, without Tynka we don't have a lot of offense power to spread around."
He nodded. "I can handle that," Imperatrix stated, coiling his whip. "Just show me where this entrance is. No one will get past it."
Apsyrtus gestured to a pair of Tynkan women, both similar in appearance to the senshi of Tynka. "They'll guide you there."
Gotho nodded to the rest of the group as he followed Imperatrix, the group moving off through the cavern. "I've noticed something odd," Thais commented. "Are there any men here?"
Apsyrtus smiled. "Not many, and most of them are outsiders. Tynka's population largely reproduces by cloning."
"So these facilities are even more important," Fiducius said, looking back behind him. "If we lose this place, Tynka will lose their future generation."
"Correct. These enemies don't care that they'd wipe out a planet's entire method of life, their means of continued survival. Indeed, that's what they hope for," Apsyrtus said with a shake of his head. "They'd wipe out everything to achieve their goal."
"But what is their goal?" Fiducius questioned.
"If we knew, we might have a better grasp of our situation. All we know is destruction." Apsyrtus shook his head. "I'm going back up, I'll keep you informed on the battle. Keep your headsets on."
Tsaria watched as he took off at a run back up the tunnel, the senshi exceptionally quick thanks to his sandals. "He really is worried about Tynka," Gaussia observed. "Moreso than his own planet."
"Tynka is a planet of life," Strenua stated, flicking his ears. "Humans celebrate life. It is a natural connection."
"I don't think that's quite all of it, Mr. Strenua."
Fiducius looked up at the wide tunnel. It was large enough for two vehicles side by side to pass by, and wide enough for the same, the rock below their feet worn smooth by their passage. The Tynkans had attempted to correct this by carving new gouges in the rock. The place was also well-lit by a string of lights on either side, and more at their feet separating the incoming and outgoing lane. "Strenua, any ideas on how best to defend this tunnel?"
Strenua looked around, considering. "Gaussia, how well would your wind attack work in this tunnel?"
"It'd be pretty forceful," she said after taking a moment to view the dimensions of the tunnel. "Not as good as it would be in a smaller space, but enough to keep out casual intruders. Someone who got down and let the wind go over them would still be able to enter."
"That would be a good start. Fiducius, you'll be our spearpoint for this time. Thais and I will back you up and try to disable your enemies so you can strike at them. Can you handle that?"
He nodded. "As long as I have enough warning to make sure I can draw a sword, I'll be fine."
"Hey, guys," Apsyrtus's voice came over their communicators. "We got here none too soon. The firefight over our heads is already underway."
"How does it look?"
"Hard to say from this vantage point. The defense net is good, but if too many ships fall out of it, we'll have to prepare for trouble."
Strenua let out a sigh of relief. "That is good to hear."
"Are you worried about your people, Mr. Strenua?" Tsaria asked him.
"My people are greatly unaccustomed to causing harm to others. It is a foreign thought process. I am worried at their ability to adapt properly to it."
"That's what they have my people on board for," Apsyrtus muttered. "Imperatrix isn't the only place that knows war."
Fiducius frowned at Apsyrtus's tone, but didn't say anything, looking around the tunnel. He wanted to be sure of every rock, every gouge in the ground and walls, anything that might give him an advantage or cause him to lose one. He reflected further, debating what card he should try to pull. He needed to balance the need to do a lot of damage with his endurance to hold the card's power for a long period of time. With a depressing feeling, he had a feeling the battle for this tunnel was going to be long. "I think we should be prepared for the long haul."
"I agree with that assessment, Fiducius," Strenua told him. "They will continue to attack this tunnel until they have overwhelmed us, or they are out of troops."
"What are we going to do, then?" Tsaria asked, expression worried. "We can't hold it forever, can we?"
"That's what the ships in the sky are for," Fiducius reassured her. "Hopefully, they'll do a significant chunk of damage so we won't have to do much."
"They're landing three ships," Apsyrtus announced suddenly. "Three small ships that have gotten through the holes in the net. Two of them are seriously damaged. Probably, they're going to send two to the main entrance and one to the rear. Be prepared."
Fiducius nodded, looking at the other three senshi with him, trying to banish his worries. This wasn't like the other battles where Apsyrtus had taken the lead, launched them forward. Now he was here and responsible for doing that. "How many do these ships hold, do you think?"
"Probably around five, ten at best. The bigger ships are being stopped by the blockade." There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his voice was deadly quiet. "They're landing one of the three nearby. It has Tynka. Sorry, looks like I won't be able to update the situation further. They'll probably send one ship each to the front and rear entrances. That's what it looks like. I'm out."
Fiducius looked over at Strenua with an expression of worry. "I hope he'll be okay."
"I believe he will be. He was not being untruthful when he said he knew of Tynka's weaknesses. I am confident that should the same happen to me, that he would be able to disable me as well. Right now, he is focused on the task ahead of him. We should do the same."
Fiducius nodded, running his fingers across the card case at his hip. "Then you're up, Gaussia. When you see them, give it all you got. Once they've gotten close, get back and let us handle it."
She nodded, shivering as she heard a voice from above them, calling down into the tunnels, and began to blow, the wind whipping upwards and outwards. "Hello, little worms! I've come to--Gaugh!" Fiducius smiled at hearing Cobalt Falcon's voice cut off as the wind hit her. The presence of her wings probably made it even more difficult to get inside. "Stop that, you damn vermin! I'll get you for this!"
"Keep going, Gaussia," Fiducius told her, and she redoubled her efforts, letting out air in a steady stream.
Finally, he could see the figure of Cobalt Falcon on her stomach, crawling forward. "You... damn... louses," the enemy senshi growled, glaring daggers at them.
"Gaussia, on my mark. Keep her pinned." Fiducius withdrew a card, letting the power come to him before he held it upwards. "Now stop!"
She released the breath as the six of swords sent its weaponry flying at Cobalt Falcon. The woman attempted to jump up at the sudden lack of pressure, but couldn't avoid all the weapons and screamed as her wings were pierced. "Now! Blind her, Thais!"
The artist threw out his paintbrush, expertly getting a splash of black across her face, and Fiducius drew a smaller sword card, the two of swords, charging at her with one of the twin blades upraised. "Go ahead, stab me!" she laughed with glee, throwing her wings and arms wide. "It won't do anything."
"I know," he muttered, and brought the sword down on her arm.
The blade sliced cleanly through her arm, no blood coming from the wound as she let out a screech, clutching at her wounded arm, the bracelet dropping to the ground with a soft 'tink'. "How dare you, you worm," she hissed, backing up a few paces. "I'll kill you for that!"
Strenua joined Fiducius at his side, and the senshi of Subamara handed him a short sword. "Think we can get her?"
"There is not a possibility for failure," Strenua said, and the pair moved at her. Unable to see where her attackers were coming from, she couldn't avoid both blades, and Strenua's found its mark on her other arm, the woman letting out a wail that turned into a moan as her body began to dissolve.
"No, this can't be," Cobalt Falcon moaned. "I'm much better than you vermin...." And then she was gone, save for the two bracelets and the blackened starseed laying in a gouge in the rock.
Strenua picked it up, tucking it away. "I wish you a more moderate life when you return," he said solemnly. "That was excellent work, Fiducius."
"An eye for an eye," Fiducius muttered as the sound of more footsteps sounded up the tunnel. "Looks like the puppets are on their way. Gaussia, can you knock some of them out? I don't want to face the entire group at once."
She frowned. "I can try. I don't know how successful it'll be, but I'll try."
"Good. The rest of you brace yourself for a long battle."
Imperatrix was glad for Gotho's presence. Not because he was worried about needing help, but Gotho said nothing as he waited patiently, the large man resting against the wall, keeping his attention on the tunnel ahead. Imperatrix let his whip uncoil, waiting for the first face to appear in front of him.
It wasn't long in coming before Zinc Mantis entered the hallway. She was obviously expecting them, as her hands were held up and at the ready, prepared to strike. "Bind her if you can," Imperatrix muttered, "but stay out of my way."
Gotho nodded, and Imperatrix cracked the whip, sending a line of daggers at Zinc Mantis. She neatly sidestepped most of them, blocking a couple with her hands. "Greeting, Imperatrix, Ares's Hand. I am pleased to have encountered you again."
"The feeling is only mutual because that means I get to kill you now instead of later," Imperatrix muttered. "Have you made your final wishes known?"
"I appreciate the sentiment." Imperatrix cracked the whip out at her again, and she took a step back, holding her hands up defensively as he charged for her, drawing his short sword for better use in the confined quarters.
Zinc Mantis blocked his attack again, and Imperatrix found himself fully locked in battle, striking blow after blow to her, the hits glancing off her hard skin. Something was wrong, he swiftly realized. The other senshi was not making a move to attack, only hold him if he tried to get too far away. That meant she was a distraction, probably for someone trying to get into the tunnel without being noticed. Cursing his decision for a wider area of the tunnel, he turned. "Gotho, there's--"
"He can't hear you now," the smooth tone of Lithium Irukandji told him.
Zinc Mantis backed away, and Imperatrix's face darkened as he saw the woman, standing over the other senshi who was obviously dead from a massive hole in his chest. Probably hadn't had enough breath in what was left of his chest to so much as gasp, let alone signal a warning. "Clever. But it won't save you from the inevitable."
"Nor will it save you," Lithium Irukandji replied. "I have foreseen your coming here. Would you like to know what else I have seen?"
"I don't believe in fortune tellers," he spat. "It's a bunch of parlor tricks."
"It's a shame to hear you say that," Lithium Irukandji said with a shake of her head. "You'd be surprised at the results of your future."
A sudden blow to his head from behind caught him off guard, and he cursed to himself as he was sent to the ground, unable to hold onto consciousness. Shit, that was stupid of me, forgetting the other one was there. I won't forget next time, he said to himself before lapsing into darkness.
Lithium stroked the younger man's face with a hand before nodding to Zinc Mantis. "I will take care of him. You will take care of this facility. I'll send you support."
"Understood, my general." Zinc Mantis knelt, turning back to the tunnel.
Fiducius panted for breath as he looked around the tunnel, the sword fading from his hand before he could stop it. Around them, there was nothing but more of the bracelets and the littering of so many crystals around them. Feeling a moment of elation at the lack of any further enemies, he turned to Strenua. "Anyone hurt?"
"I'm fine," Tsaria spoke up.
"I am uninjured," Strenua told him with a nod.
"No injuries here," Thais added, letting out a whistle at the tunnel. "We trounced them. We really did."
"Yes, we did." Fiducius smiled as he knelt, picking up one of the starseeds. "Let's get these collected so we can give them a new shot at life. Gaussia, can you hold onto these?"
She nodded, tucking a few into her hat. "I feel sorry for them," she said after a moment, looking down at one in Fiducius's hand. "We've saved them from a life of fighting, only to revive them and put them into battle again. It seems cruel."
"It probably is," he agreed, "but the difference is, once we win, they can return to a normal life. I'm sure this Galaxia will not allow this for any poor soul in her army."
The three men handed over the starseeds they had collected off the floor to her, and then Fiducius gave the area a final sweep, nodding in satisfaction. "Looks like that's all of them. We'll wait here and see if there's another wav--"
A muffled explosion from below rocked the ground underneath their feet, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground. "What the hell was that?" Thais yelped.
"That came from below," Strenua said with a frown.
"The facilities!" Fiducius shouted in alarm, getting to his feet and running further down the tunnel.
"What if another wave comes?" Thais asked as he got up to follow.
"If they destroy the facility from the rear, we won't have to worry about that. Damn it all! What's happened to Imperatrix?" Fiducius wondered as they returned to the central cavern.
The place was burning, the flames reaching up to the ceiling, the heat so strong it was difficult to get close. "Damn it!" Fiducius yelled as he watched the flames, feeling helpless as another explosion sounded off. "Gaussia! We need to stop the flames, can you smother them with your breath?"
She planted her feet, then let out a cry, the sound rippling through the cavern, tearing up the air itself and snuffing the flames swiftly. Finishing, she panted for breath, Thais giving her a supporting arm.
"Hey! Anyone here?" Fiducius called out as he ventured toward the rubble, desperate to find something, anything. The buildings had been leveled almost as if they had never been standing, the flames out and leaving components and broken glass exposed. Among them, he could make out the bodies of the Tynkans, some dead, some having never been alive. "Shout if you can hear me! Is anyone left?" he cried out in frustration.
An arm suddenly moved nearby, shooting up from the rock as a woman tried to remove herself from the rubble. She was dressed in a senshi uniform, one that Fiducius didn't recognize. She must have been one of the clones in training to return to the battle. "Hold still, we're here to help," he told her, going over and lifting a rock. "Strenua, give me a hand."
The alien nodded, making the pieces go away with a spacial distortion. "Can you stand?" Fiducius asked her, lifting her up by one arm.
She looked at him, eyes wide and frightened. "Who are you? I don't know who I am."
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I don't either. But we'll figure it out. Right now we need to get you to safety." Letting the girl lean on him, he keyed his communicator. "Apsyrtus, are you there?"
"I'm here," the other man's voice said, sounding subdued. "Tynka is back in our hands now. What of the facility?"
"I'm sorry," Fiducius said softly. "We defended the front entrance and defeated Cobalt Falcon, but...they got in the back entrance. I don't know what's happened to Imperatrix or Gotho."
There was a long silence before Apsyrtus spoke again. "It's good that you're safe. The one ship has left the ground, so if you've defeated all your enemies, you should be safe. Check the tunnels for Gotho and Imperatrix. If we can't find them...chances are they've been taken by the enemy."
Fiducius nodded. "Thais and I will go inspect the rear entrance," Strenua stated. "You and Gaussia take care of this senshi."
He nodded, looking back to the frightened girl. Tsaria put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's all right now. You're safe. You're with friends," she reassured softly.
"Friends?" the girl murmured as Fiducius and Tsaria helped her to her feet. "I don't know friends. Why...why is everything burning? I don't understand anything."
"Shh," Tsaria soothed. "We need to get your injuries treated. I'll explain everything you need to know. Do you remember anything? Any thoughts, any people?"
"People. They said a word to me. Riccati. Riccati," she repeated. "Is that my name?"
"Probably," Tsaria said. Fiducius tried to recall anything about the world of Riccati, but came up blank.
"Those people, they're under there," Riccati said, pointing. "They're dead. Why did the building kill them?"
"Because there are evil people in the world," Fiducius muttered, looking around at the destruction. Thanks to their enemies, the next generation of Tynka had been wiped away in the blink of an eye. There had to be some punishment in this, some penance for these monsters, even if it was only their eventual destruction.
"Evil people?" Riccati echoed, trembling a bit.
"Don't talk," Tsaria instructed. "We need to get you to a doctor."
"Let's take her aboveground," Fiducius said. "We'll get her onto our sail ship. Think we can carry her?"
"We can try."
Shortly after their arrival, Strenua and Thais had returned, as had Apsyrtus. The pair of senshi hadn't managed to find Imperatrix, but they had found Gotho's body in the tunnel. "It is a break in the pattern," Strenua had stated, looking clearly puzzled about the event. "He has had his starseed stolen, as have many others. But they have left the body there. In addition, although we can assume that Imperatrix is probably dead, they have removed his body. Why?"
"I can try doing a reading later," Fiducius offered, "though I don't know how successful it'll be. Lithium Irukandji has the power of prediction. People that can do predicitions are very hard to read. Ah, Apsyrtus!" he shouted as he saw the man enter, barely looking up as he moved to pass them in the hall. "Apsyrtus, are you all right?"
The Colchis senshi managed a tired smile. "Hanging in there. How's the new senshi?"
"Riccati? She's with Tsaria right now, in the infirmary."
"Gaussia wasn't hurt, was she?"
Fiducius shook his head. "None of us were. She's taking care of Riccati. I think she'll be fine with Tsaria."
Apsyrtus nodded. "That's good. We may need to make use of her, and quickly, as much as I hate to admit it."
"What about Tynka?" Fiducius asked softly.
Apsyrtus paused, then pulled a black crystal out of his shirt, holding it out. "I got her back for us. Unfortunately, since the cloning facilities are destroyed, we can't bring her back. But at least she doesn't have to suffer under that monster anymore."
Fiducius paused, then reached out, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Apsyrtus shook his head. "That's not the hard part. The hard part is going to be listening to the Tynkans ask us why seven senshi weren't able to protect one facility. TIme to go get my ass chewed out."
"I'll go with you," Fiducius stated quickly.
Apsyrtus looked as if he was about to protest, then relented, smiling tiredly. "Remember, you volunteered for this. What about you, Strenua?" he asked, adding in the alien's whistled name. "They'll probably want to let you know how they feel, too, since you're part of our alliance."
"I will go with you. I do not bear any nervousness at their anger. I am not easily injured or provoked in that manner."
Apsyrtus smiled before leading the way, Fiducius and Strenua falling into step behind him. One of the aliens saluted as he approached, opening a door. "The Tynka council is on call for you, Senshi Colchis," he greeted.
"Thank you," the Grecian senshi said with a nod before entering, Fiducius and Strenua following. The Strenuan guard shut the door behind them, and Apsyrtus reached forward, turning on the display. "This is the senshi of Colchis reporting."
"Hello, Colchis," the woman on the other end greeted. Fiducius could see a vague resemblance to Tynka in the woman's face and figure, but she was obviously much older, with her long white hair pulled into the samse braids as Tynka's was. Had been, he reminded himself with a slight sigh. "I'm waiting for your explanation. How could you fail one of your allies in this way, Colchis? First you have murdered our senshi, and now you have let our future be destroyed."
Apsyrtus's expression didn't change, but Fiducius couldn't imagine that he wasn't affected by the words. "I apologize, Tynka. We have done what we could. Unfortunately, our enemies have superior resources and power. We were overwhelmed."
"I don't want to hear your excuses. What were you doing when they swarmed our entrances, storming our facility? You were up on the surface, playing around with a single senshi."
"That single senshi," Apsyrtus stated coolly, "was your own Tynka, being used against us. Yes, I did go against her alone. I did this because I felt that if there was any recognition in her altered state, I would prove to be a sufficient distraction. I also knew enough of her that I believed I could defeat her alone. On those accounts, I was correct. I believed at the time that if Tynka was allowed to move unchecked, her power would easily level the facility by itself."
"And yet despite all your accurate prediction, the facility has been leveled irrepairably," the woman snapped at him. "What is the cause of this failure, Colchis?"
"The main entrance was successfully held against overwhelming odds, by Subamara and Strenua, and two others," Apsyrtus gestured behind him. "They faced a force of over twenty senshi. It was the rear entrance that was breached. Rest assured that the two senshi guarding it have both given up their lives to try and protect the facility."
"You only had two? Of course it was breached, then," the older woman growled.
Apsyrtus frowned slightly. "One of the senshi guarding the rear entrance was Imperatrix, who is the most powerful senshi we had. It was hardly poorly defended. The fact that we have lost him is crippling."
"That's not good enough."
"Unfortunately, it will have to be good enough," Apsyrtus stated. "We have sacrificed two senshi and countless space forces to protect your lands. Tynka itself is still standing, which is more than most of the targets of this enemy army can say. You should be thankful for your lives and plan your rebuilding." With that, he reached over, turning the machine off.
"Was that wise?" Strenua asked him.
"I can only take so much unjustified reaming. How much more blood did they want us to spill for Tynka?" Apsyrtus shook his head, rubbing the Tynka starseed between his fingers. "I'm sorry. It's not fair to you, is it?"
Strenua shook his head. "We will be fine. I am concerned for your mental state."
"What mental state? It's pretty much gone now," he joked before his expression fell. "We lost Imperatrix and Gotho. Most of our offensive strength is gone. Of all of us right now, Fiducius can do the most damage. We're down to five, and our enemies may potentially be up Imperatrix and Gotho. Those aren't good odds."
"Do you still believe the possibility of victory is greater than zero?" Strenua asked.
"Sure. As long as we're alive, the percent is greater than zero. But losing those two, after we've already lost Tynka and the ability to bring her back really lowers our odds. What do we know about Riccati?"
"I do not know. I shall go explore our databanks and see," Strenua stated before turning on his heel and leaving.
"Distracting him again?" Fiducius asked as he watched the alien disappear out the door.
"Even though he's the senshi, he still has a hard time with emotions. Facts are something he can deal with easier." Apsyrtus sighed, leaning against a chair.
"I'm sorry," Fiducius said quietly. "I wish there wsa something more that I could do for you. Are there any other asteroids around here that we could recruit senshi from?"
Apsyrtus shook his head. "This was pretty much it. Every other place around here is either uninhabited, too far out for us to defend well, didn't have an active senshi, or refused to join us. I'd been to three other places before I came to Subamara. You don't know how happy I was to have you join us."
Fiducius sighed as he looked at the other man's face, feeling his own spirits fall. "Hey, don't look so glum," Apsyrtus said with a slight smile. "We still have a chance, right? Did you want to do a reading?"
The other senshi frowned, then considered, focusing as he put his hand on the card case. Let's see what the cards say," he murmured, feeling one spring to his fingers. Pulling it out, he held it up, then his spirits fell further. The card he had drawn was the Chariot reversed, the same card that he had seen at the center of his pattern determining the bleak future. The same card that represented Imperatrix, he also recalled.
"Not good, huh?" Apsyrtus asked.
"I think...something terrible is going to happen to Imperatrix," he said after a moment.
"Imperatrix? Isn't he already dead? Do you mean just reviving him and setting him against us, or something else?"
"I don't know," Fiducius said with a shake of his head. "I can't see that clearly. I could do a more detailed reading to find out more, but I can't guarantee what I'll find if Lithium Irukandji is involved. Plus, it'll wear down my strength if we have a battle soon. What do you want me to do?"
"Save your strength," Apsyrtus said after a moment. "We need you at full power now. We'll just do what everyone else in the universe does and make our own future."
He was still alive, he realized, and that meant he could still win. The fact that his arms were bound didn't bother him, nor did the removal of his whip. He was Imperatrix, the senshi of war, and he had ways of winning.
"Except that you may not have to fight," a quiet voice said from beside him.
He glanced up at the voice, appearing uninterested but taking in every detail that might help his victory. He seemed to be on a table, laying on his stomach with hands bound tightly behind his back, and Lithium Irukandji was standing nearby, looking at him. "Try taking me one on one, bitch. I'll have your head."
She shook her head. "Calm down, Imperatrix. I didn't bring you here so I could kill you. I could have done that on Tynka."
So he was away from Tynka, possibly on their home base or one of their ships. "Good, because I'm not going to be killed. You are."
She smiled slightly. "As you are, Imperatrix, you are no match for Galaxia's army. Surely you realize that by your easy capture."
It was a sting, to be sure. Not that he was going to admit that to her. "So you say, but you're going to readily wish you had killed me when you had the chance."
She shook her head. "I'm not going to kill you because you're going to join us."
He curled his lip at the suggestion. "Do you offer this to any senshi you happen to take alive?"
"No. Only those that have power. That want power." Lithium Irukandji crouched by him, looking him in the eyes. "You want power. You have a hunger for it that is far beyond any normal senshi. You have the power of greatness within you, Imperatrix." She looked at him for a moment longer. "Do you understand what I am, Imperatrix?"
"You're a fortune teller like the little kid. I don't believe in fortune tellers," Imperatrix sneered.
"Then tell me what you think about this. Right now, as we take over this area, our leader, Galaxia, is staging a war against a resistance of senshi on the third planet in this system," Lithium Irukandji stated. "She will not succeed. Galaxia's mighty army will be lost...unless there is someone who will take her place. A true leader that will not be defeated...or challenge those they cannot defeat. Can you temper your ambition for that role, Imperatrix?"
"Does your leader know you're offering me her job?" he growled, although there was a new light in his eyes.
"She will not make it back from the third planet. What does she need to know?" Lithium Irukandji stood, regarding the man for a long moment. "You have a path before you. Do you have the courage to take it, Imperatrix? Or will you waste your life in this struggle against a superior army? I will leave you alone to think about it." She shut the door behind herself.
Zinc Mantis stood in the hall, arms folded. "Cobalt Falcon is dead."
"As I predicted she would be. She had too much confidence in herself." Lithium Irukandji looked over at the other senshi.
"Are you going to tell Galaxia? That she'll be stopped there?"
"She would not believe me. She would only have me killed for my insolence. What she doesn't know won't matter to her in the end. Perhaps, even, this is the outcome she wishes for. There is a dark presence inside Galaxia, Zinc Mantis."
The shorter woman nodded toward the locked room. "Are we really going to let him support and lead our troops when Galaxia is gone? To what purpose?"
"That will be for him to determine. If he is to take on the mantle of a leader, he will take on that path. If he makes a wrong turn, history will punish him as it will punish Galaxia. You and I are merely soldiers, Zinc Mantis, creatures given a fake life. What other reason do we have to live?"
"I don't bother myself with questions like that. My job is to follow orders."
"And orders you shall be given. In the end, does it matter whose lips they come from?"
"No. They do not."
